Emmy Award-winning journalist Joan Lunden hosts WICKEDLY PERFECT, a new reality show that pits 12 people with a creative knack for the finer things in life in a no-holds-barred competition to crown the country's new authority on at-home living. These perfection-obsessed contestants, whose motto is "anything you can do, I can do better," will compete in different areas of beautifying the home and entertaining, including party planning, gardening, cooking, baking, sewing, crafts, floral arranging and decorating.

In addition to chronicling the sometimes funny, sometimes factious relationships that develop among the tightly wound, extremely competitive participants, each week a contestant will be eliminated from their luxurious estate located in New England. Renowned chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay (Mesa Grill), Emmy Award-nominated stylist David Evangelista ("The Rosie O'Donnell Show") and best-selling author Candace Bushnell ("Sex and the City" and "Trading Up") will serve as judges.

The winner will receive numerous prizes, including six appearances on "The Early Show" on CBS, a development deal for a lifestyle-oriented television show and a publishing deal with Atria Books, a division of premier publisher Simon & Schuster.

Don't miss the start of this exciting new reality show, premiering January 6th at 8:00PM ET/PT, only on CBS.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and NBC Universal Reach Long-Term Distribution Agreement for New Television SeriesWednesday December 8, 3:50 pm ET Syndicated Program Starring Emmy-Award Winning Stewart, Produced by Mark Burnett Will Debut in fall 2005 New Daily Show Will Feature Studio Audience, Celebrity Guests; Program Will Debut on NBC's Owned and Operated Stations

NEW YORK - While Martha Stewart is away, 12 reality show contestants are going to play.

CBS recently revealed the contestants on "Wickedly Perfect," a domestic showdown hosted by Joan Lunden. The new show, which debuts Jan. 6, will fill the time slot left empty by "Survivor: Vanuatu - Islands of Fire."

The 12 makeshift Marthas will live together in a New England estate, where they will try to prove they are role models for housewives everywhere.

They will be critiqued by celebrity chef and Food Network host Bobby Flay, stylist David Evangelista and "Sex and the City" author Candace Bushnell in a variety of challenges in entertaining, decorating, cooking, baking, sewing and crafts.

After 10 episodes, the last diva standing will win a development deal for a lifestyle-oriented TV show, six appearances on CBS' "The Early Show" and a publishing deal with Atria Books.

Among the nine women and three men are two homemakers, a chef, a baker and a Home Shopping Network host. Their ages range from 25 to 46. Five contestants are from California; two are from Florida.

Did anyone watch this? I had no real tv so I was wondering how it was ?EP RecapTOM TAKES A TUMBLEAfter a stressful first challenge involving creating an innovative design from thousands of apples, Tom, the 41-year-old small business owner from Leland, Michigan, was the first player to be eliminated. Although Tom did his best as a leader early on, his sometime divisive manner and flip-flopping decision making got him voted off the Estate unanimously by his team.

APPLES, APPLES, EVERYWHEREDay one of the competition begins with blue skies overhead as the Perfectionists are driven to their first stop on the road to the title of Next Great Stylemaker. Invited to high tea, the twelve players are dressed to the nines and make their way through the grasses of an apple orchard, where host Joan Lunden greets them with a smile. As everyone is seated, Joan rattles off the incredible prize for the winner of this competition: a book deal with Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, six television appearances on the Early Show, and a television deal with KingWorld.

After introductions, Joan gets down to dividing the group of twelve into two groups of six. Team one is made up of Tim, Heather, Denise, Mychael, Amy and Mitch, while Team two has Darlene, Michelle, Kimberly, Margo, Dawn and Tom. Joan explains that the teams will compete against each another in group challenges, but each individual project will also be judged. The two least admired individual projects on the losing team's side will indicate the two Perfectionists to be put up for elimination, and their team will vote off a member each week, reading the votes off face to face.

The first team challenge begins: to pick as many apples as possible in 30 minutes. At the word go, the teams race around the orchard, climbing, shaking trees and carrying hundreds of apples in tablecloths as fast as they can. Little do they know that in part two of the challenge, they'll have to use all the apples they pick.

HOME, AT LASTThat night, everyone is overjoyed to see the spectacular 10-acre, 20,000 square foot Connecticut Estate that will be their home for the duration of the competition. The players spend their evening checking out the impressive living spaces and design areas, pointing out tools that will come in handy in the future.

The next morning, Joan gathers the Perfectionists together in the kitchen, where the teams announce their new names: team one is the Crafty Beavers, while team two is Team Artisan. Each team picked about three thousand apples, and for the second half of the challenge, both teams must use every single one of those apples to create the most innovative apple display imaginable. At the same time, everyone must design their own individual projects, which will be judged by the panel experts: stylist David Evangelista, author Candace Bushnell and chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay.

With only 24 hours and $1500 per team to complete everything, Tom emerges as the leader of Team Artisan, while Darlene's suggestions are shot down at every turn. Kimberly and Dawn head off to the grocery store, where they decide to purchase silk instead of real flowers for their display. On their way back to the Estate, they get caught in traffic, holding up progress and causing everyone to wonder what exactly they're up to. The Artisans work late into the night, struggling with equipment as they bring their ideas to life, and Margo is concerned that everything has gone "a little helter-skelter" because of the many design changes they've been forced to make.

MYCHAEL TAKES A NAPMeanwhile, Mitch takes over the design of the display in the Crafty Beavers' studio, and Tim privately bristles at his bossy attitude. At the same time, Mitch questions Tim's expertise in the carpentry arena. Heather and Amy help out Mychael in the kitchen, and everyone is stunned when Mychael goes to bed while the rest of them work all night long.

In the morning the Artisans are still hard at work, and Kimberly points out that of all the team members, Darlene fits in the least. However, Darlene maintains a positive attitude, and Kimberly helps her out with her apple table top for the group project.

Everyone scrambles to get their individual projects done, and they all make final touches on their group displays. When the judges arrive, they check out the two team projects by tasting, touching and asking questions. Candace is blown away by the Crafty Beavers' creative display, while Bobby enjoys the seasonings on each of their dishes. However, when Mychael takes the credit for the cooking, some of her teammates are less than pleased.

SILK FLOWERS: THE WRONG CHOICETeam Artisan welcomes the judges to their display, but as Margo puts it, "there wasn't a lot of love." Candace summarizes: "The taste level wasn't that high, their place setting wasn't that interesting." She points out the silk flowers, and Dawn winces while Kimberly tries to explain the choice. When David asks Darlene if any of her ideas were rejected, she's very forthcoming about her dissatisfaction, and her attitude irritates Michelle.

The judges privately discuss the projects, and when their verdict is announced, the Crafty Beavers celebrate their success. The individual projects are evaluated, and Denise's candied apple party favor is voted the best individual effort. As a reward, she is overjoyed to win a brand new GMC Sierra pick-up truck.

Team Artisan's nerves are put to the test when the judges evaluate their individual projects, and the two that are chosen as the worst are Kimberly's sour cream apple pie and Tom's apple acorn squash bisque. The Artisans are sent back to the Estate to decide the fates of their two fellow Perfectionists, and Tom calls a meeting when they arrive. He's overtly dismissive of Darlene, who snaps back at him, "I am quite over your self-appointed dictatorship, and it's going to end right now." Tom announces that his first instinct is to sacrifice himself for Kimberly's sake, but after a chat with Mitch, Tom changes his mind, much to Kimberly's shock.

THE FIRST ELIMINATIONElimination time arrives, and Tom and Kimberly plead their cases to the group on why they should stay. Kimberly simply states that though it's been a difficult day, she's grateful for the time she's had, but when Tom gives a lengthy list of reasons on why he should stay, some of his words are met with curious looks from both judges and team members alike. When the voting is announced, Tom's strategies have clearly backfired, and Team Artisan votes him out unanimously.